Cool Kid on the (Blog) Block Alert: An Interview with Moss about his Field Trip to a Marae

One aspect of New Zealand daily life that stands out is its approach to acknowledging and reckoning with its history, and seeking to revitalize indigenous traditions and culture. The curriculum of all public schools includes the teaching of the Māori language, alongside a dedicated focus on Māori cultural traditions and storytelling,

Yesterday, Moss’ class visited a marae and enjoyed hāngī lunch together. I’m excited share an interview with him, where he shares his experience. (Below I’ve transcribed an interview I had with him. I also recorded a separate video interview and loaded it onto youtube, in case you’re looking for an extra dose of cuteness.)

Moss's Marae Field Trip:

Ellie: Ok, tell me what you did today.

Moss: Today I went to a marae.

Ellie: What’s a marae?

Moss: A marae is a type of house. A marae looks kind of like a real house, but it has the edges stretching out more.

Well, the marae is a house where the people a long time ago went to cook – from many types of cultures, when they were in New Zealand they went to it.

Ellie: Cool! And what else? What kind of meal did you have?

Moss: I had a hāngī with some yummy foods.

Ellie: Ok, how is a hāngī prepared?

Moss: Well, they use warm ovens. But a long time ago they would use this type of oven where they would dig a hole, then they would put the food in, then they would make a fire on top of it, and when it was finished they would take it out.

Ellie: Cool! And what else? What else did you learn?

Moss: Well…. I didn’t really learn much, but there’s a really cool type of house that I prefer.

Ellie: Did you tell me earlier that you were drawing about some type of New Zealand goddesses earlier? Which one?

Moss: It was a forest one. And I drew a star!

Ellie: Very cool. And why is it important to learn about New Zealand culture and the Marae and the hāngī?

Moss: Because it’s important for New Zealand and the kiwis!

Read more here on the marae – which is actually the full complex of buildings and grounds that belong to an iwi (tribe). I love the articulation of what the marae is here:

Māori see their marae as their tūrangawaewae - their place to stand and belong.

Photo of a marae ātea, the area in front of the wharenui (communal meeting house; the cornerstone of the marae)

What a striking way to capture the indelible power of belonging, of home. I’m grateful for all that I am learning about the culture here, and it’s a particular gift to learn so much through the recounting and observations of my children. More soon!